Jacques-Yves Cousteau, 87 years of Exploration

Our Tribute to Jacques-Yves CousteauThe
door to the private suite in the American Museum of Television and
Radio in New York City opened and there he was. He looked frail, his
trademark white hair whiter than we remembered from TV. And he
looked small, smaller than we thought. Jacques Cousteau certainly
looked his age. Suddenly, his face broke into the famous smile, his
eyes warm with friendliness, and his hands extended towards us. We
had finally met the man whose exploits we had followed so closely
since childhood.

Jacques Cousteau was born June 11, 1910 in a small town called
St.-Andre’-de-Cubzac, which is north of Bordeaux in France. Cousteau
always had a fascination with the sea and with the art of film
making and it would be these two interests that would shape his life
forever. He began a production company at the age of 16 which
produced numerous films, often with Cousteau himself playing the
part of the villain in these silent pictures. He joined the French
Navy in 1930 because of his “love for water and desire to travel and
see the world.” However, in 1935, a serious automobile accident left
him partially paralyzed without the use of his arms. After 8 months
of intensive therapy, Cousteau regained the mobility in his arms and
he began to focus his attention on the underwater world.

In 1936, Cousteau pioneered the use of waterproof housings for movie
cameras and he shot his first underwater film. It was in 1943,
though, that Cousteau made what many consider to be his greatest
contribution to the effort of underwater exploration. Working with
Emile Gagnon, Cousteau developed the first SCUBA (Self Contained
Underwater Breathing Apparatus) regulator and, suddenly, mankind was
free to “stay longer, go deeper” and capture on film what he saw.
For generations to come, the Oceans would now be accessible to many
and the sport of SCUBA diving was born.

In 1950, the next step in Cousteau’s dream was fulfilled when he
acquired the Calypso, a former minesweeper, and converted her to an
oceanographic vessel dedicated to exploring the ocean for scientific
purposes. The Calypso would faithfully serve Cousteau for 46 years,
until she would sink in a boating accident in Singapore Harbor early
in 1996. Calypso’s maiden voyage, however, in 1950 would take
Cousteau to the Red Sea to study Coral Reefs.

Cousteau now turned his attention to filming and exploring the
world’s oceans. He published his first book, the Silent World, in
1953, and received an Academy Award in 1956 for Best Documentary for
the film version of this book. His other accomplishments include the
development of the first watertight 35mm still camera, the invention
of self-righting underwater sleds for filming in deep water and the
modification of torpedoes to be used as underwater scooters to allow
divers to cover greater distances.

Cousteau’s exploration continued into the 1960s with experiments in
saturation diving and further developments in the art of underwater
film. In 1968, however, Cousteau launched a television series titled
The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau. The 36 episodes in this
series were aired between 1968 and 1976 and introduced millions of
people to the underwater world. Through the use of television,
Cousteau was able to take his fans around the world with him as he
studied Sperm Whales off Portugal’s Azore Islands, explored the
great Blue Hole of Belize, unlocked the mysteries of sleeping sharks
off the Yucatan coast of Mexico and journeyed to the enchanting
Antarctic.

Captain Cousteau continued his explorations in 1979 by launching a
series of extensive expeditions to the world’s great river systems,
including the Amazon and Mississippi Rivers. By now, he had created
The Cousteau Society, based in the United States and designed to
mobilize public support for protecting the Earth’s resources, and
the Fondation Cousteau, in Paris. He also pioneered the development
of wind driven vessels which used Turbosail technology and
christened the Alcyone, the latest addition to his fleet.

In 1985, Cousteau, in association with Turner Broadcasting, launched
an around-the-world expedition and produced a number of films in a
series titled The Rediscovery of the World. Films were produced on
such diverse locations as Haiti, French Polynesia, Alaska, Cocos
Island, Thailand and New Zealand.

Cousteau continues to be a strong advocate for the protecting the
Earth’s resources. In 1991, he began an ambitious effort to petition
the United nations to adopt a Bill of Rights for Future Generations.
The purpose of this is to guarantee every child his/her right to
inherit an uncontaminated planet. In 1992, Cousteau addressed the
World Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro and, in 1994, addressed the UN
Conference on Population and Development in Cairo. Cousteau
continues to plan for the future and has announced plans for a
successor to the fabled Calypso, named Calypso II.

Jacques Cousteau has led a storied and adventurous life. He has made
numerous contributions to the exploration of the environment and has
captured on film some of the most astonishing spectacles in the
world of nature. He has received a multitude of awards throughout
his life and is recognized as a true pioneer. Meeting him is
difficult, as, even today, he is constantly on the move. His life
work of exploring and protecting the world’s environment is fueled
by an intense drive on his part which is unequaled. At the age of
86, Cousteau still journeys around the globe at a pace that would
tire men half his age. He has continued to dive into his eighties, a
physical accomplishment not to be overlooked. When we learned of his
upcoming appearance at New York’s Museum of Television and Radio to
receive an award honoring him for his work, we leaped into action!

The awards evening was scheduled for an April evening. After
ensuring we had tickets to the event by rushing through the streets
of Manhattan in a snow storm in February, we contacted the Cousteau
Society and began our attempts at arranging a meeting with the man
who had so inspired us throughout our lives. After many phones
calls, we had succeeded in gaining an appointment to meet Cousteau
briefly after the show. We waited in great anticipation as the night
approached.

After a moving awards presentation, during which Cousteau adroitly
answered questions from the audience, the show was over. Along with
a small group of family and friends, we were then led behind the
scenes to a private suite, where Cousteau was beginning to enjoy a
small party in his honor. We only had 15 minutes or so and this was
enough time to meet the man, shake his hand and pose for a few
cherished photographs. These treasured photographs will be our only
personal reminder of the time we met one of the world’s last great
explorers.

Cousteau died at the age of 87 on June 25, 1997 of a heart attack
while recovering from a respiratory illness.

The World of Jacques CousteauFlashback Scuba Online Virtual Museum

This gallery showcases over three years of original research
conducted by
Ryan Spence from
FLASHBACK
Scuba. You will see rare & never before published images as well
as original equipment. The majority of the photos and equipment are
from Ryan's personal collection. Note: ALL content on this
site cannot
be copied unless permission is granted.